I Like Your Attitude!!

I read several blogs and some  stand out.  One such blogger is Elle.  I have not been reading her blog for long but it has become one of my favorites.

Why?

I really like the way she expresses her successes along the way of her weight loss journey.  She describes in wonderful detail how thrilled she is about collarbones or the small of her back.  Or being able to physically climb stairs, walk long distances, sit comfortably, cross her legs, and other physical movements that can be challenging to an obese person.

Elle is very focused, upbeat, and enjoying the journey.  She describes her journey as an exciting exploration of new sensations.  And takes the time to describe how she feels in really nice detail.

She  appreciates each stage of her journey to a healthier lifestyle.  I have no doubt that she will be successful in reaching her healthier goals.    She doesn’t whine about setbacks, she describes how she avoids setbacks, sometimes in dialog format.  It’s a refreshing and interesting outlook and approach. 

She can be found here:

 http://www.priorfatgirl.com/category/other-priorfatgirls/elle

$$

Bone Structure

I read or heard recently that when a person is obese, their skeleton adjusts itself to deal with the added weight.  Sometimes, when you lose weight quickly using gastric bypass, for example, the skeleton doesn’t return to it’s natural alignment. At least that is the impression I got.  That was kind of an interesting concept for me.

I have noticed that some people have a sort of rolling gait, if that makes sense.  And I think some of that is due to excess weight.  There is one woman that has had gastric bypass and, although she has lost A LOT of weight she still walks the same.  I wonder if her bone structure will change as she loses weight.  Seems like it should but doesn’t sound like it does.

Since your skeleton does something “un natural”, does the same thing happen to your internal organs?  Do they behave in a way that is not what they were designed for?? 

All food for thought.

It’s Hard To Be Faithful

I sometimes try to find blogs I used to read and see how they are doing.  It’s strange how these people become acquaintances thru their blogs.  Anyway I find many that haven’t updated much and I know why.

It is hard to come up with daily posts that have interesting content.  I know that is a problem I struggle with.  I have lots of drafts that never get finished and published.  You have to be really dedicated to publish daily, not to mention creative.  It’s tough.

I also understand that the longer you don’t post, the harder it is to come up with something.   It’s certainly that way for me.

All I can say, I really admire bloggers that post just about everyday.  It’s damn tough.

Diet Pepsi

I love Diet Pepsi.  I have a cooler in my trunk with iced Diet Pepsi 24/7.  I like my caffeine cold!

In light of recent revelations regarding the health affects of diet soda, I was asked, in a blog, if I had recently quit drinking diet soda and if so, how I did it.

The first paragraph of this post was true until November of ‘10.  The first week of November 2010, I quit drinking Diet Pepsi.  Since that time I have had one can of Diet Pepsi and 1 small glass of tap Diet Coke.  So how did I do it??  I just did it as Niki would say…quitting diet soda is similar to quitting cigarettes.  You never have to drink diet soda or smoke cigarettes again.  I wish food worked that way.   Can’t live without food, you just can’t. 

I really didn’t have a caffeine withdrawal headache or mood swings so it wasn’t so bad to give it up.  And I like not spending all that money on pop and ice!!

Get A Mirror, Please

As I have mentioned before, I am in a position that I can people watch.  Because of that I have noticed an interesting grooming problem.  This problem is not divided evenly between male and female, it is much more prevalent among females.

Here’s the problem, a lot of hairdos  look great from the front, but from the back there is a big flat spot from which hair radiates out in all directions.  From sleeping I am guessing.  Anyway, I make sure  to look at the back of my head with a mirror everyday.

A hand mirror works great to  look at the back of your head.   So, please get a mirror!

Proud Of Me

At least 7 years ago I ordered exercise videos from a TV  “infomercial”.    The program is called Debbie Siebers’ “Slim in Six”.  I did them on and off for a couple of years.

I haven’t done an exercise video for at least 2 years and this particular series for about 5.  A couple of weeks ago, I made a goal of doing one exercise video during the week.  Sounded like it would be the most difficult goal of the week.  But in reality, it was the best.  I found myself going into the cupboard that the stored DVDs'  are.  It was like looking through an album of old friends.  I came upon “Slim in Six” and decided I would do it right then.  It was so much fun that I did “Start it Up” twice in a row!!

I did “Start It Up” about 10 times over a couple of weeks so decided to try “Ramp It Up”.  I did in fact remember a lot of this from years ago.  “Ramp It Up” is a bit challenging but I shocked myself at how well I kept up with it.  I only had to take a little break during floor leg and butt work and abs.  But my breaks were mostly between 4 to 8 counts.

To be honest, I had less difficulty doing this video now than I did the first time I tried it when I first got it years ago. 

Quite frankly, I am proud of me.  I have steadily increased my level of physical fitness through the years. That fact has great dividends .

I am totally right on to stress the importance of posture and balance.  They are necessary skills for physical activity.

I am very proud of the fact that I have kept up so well.  Way to go Mary!!

Labels?

The man I love is not my husband.  This gives me a major problem.

What the hell do I call him??  I am far to old to have a boyfriend (he is after all a man) and refuse to refer to him as such. 

So what else is available?

Significant Other—Way too cumbersome to say or use.

Spousal Equivalent--Again too cumbersome.

Gentleman Friend—Too old fashioned and quaint for these days.

I could call him my honey, I guess, or some other form of endearment but that just doesn’t do it for me.

So most of the time I just call him Rex and don’t give him any relationship label, but I must admit that I sometimes do refer to him as my husband.  I read somewhere that Goldie Hawn refers to Kurt as her husband and, by God, if it works for Goldie, it can work for me too.

Invisible

Entering the sixth decade of life has not been easy for me.  All the other decade milestones didn’t bother me at all, but 60 has been quite different and difficult.  Of course it doesn’t help that you become a member of the “lumped age”.  You have your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s but once you hit your 60s, you not longer get your own decade—you are “lumped” in the 60s and up.

This morning Meridith Viera (the Today Show) hit the nail on the head for me.  “I don’t want to be invisible”.  That is what she said and exactly how I feel.

When you are young, people check you out, when you are older no one gives a shit.

How do you combat that?  When someone has the answer, would you let me know?  Or maybe we don’t really want attention, sometimes attention can be scary.

Our mirrors are even trying to make us invisible or at least faded.  It’s true, you get to a point where your hair grays and your skin does something (and I have no idea what) that it looks like it is fading.  The overall affect seems to be a general “washed out” look.

That “washed out” look is what got me using make up again after not wearing any for several years.  I just wanted some color.  I only wear eye make up no foundation.  I think foundation looks fake most of the time or I just have no idea how to properly use it.

My gray hair-----call me crazy, but I really like my gray hair.  So I don’t color it.  I did from the age of 42  for 10 years.  I really began to resent the time and money it was taking.  So I decided to see what my hair looked like natural and to my surprise, I LIKED IT! Thank God because I sure have saved a lot of money.

Anyway I really don’t want to feel invisible or be ignored.  I guess it would help to be interested and interesting.

Life Expectancy

I am sure that most people realize that the life expectancy of human beings has steadily risen during the 20th century.  People used have a much shorter life span.  Miraculous medical discoveries and unbelievable drugs have helped increase the number of years a person can expect to live.
I have heard this information many, many times, but last week I heard something new.  This information was on “The Doctors” TV show.
It is true that people are living longer.
It is also true that the functional years  people live has DECREASED.
That is not good news. 
My daughter works as a nurse’s aide in a state run nursing home.  What a sad place to be and I cannot begin to tell you how much I admire her for doing that work.  But how sad and depressing and if it is true that more and more people live more years but not longer functional years, her job will be secure. 
I wish every person had to visit a nursing home.  Not all, but some of those people are their because of self abuse and neglect of their bodies and brains.  We all might as well face the music and decide to exercise daily, eat healthfully, and exercise our brains.  Don’t neglect the importance of your balance and posture. 
It’s the only way we have any control over the life we get to live as the years roll by.

I Am What I Am

I was watching Dr. Oz today.  His program was about anti-aging.  One lady was upset about everything going South and sagging, her butt, her face, her boobs, her everything.

While talking about these problems, she mentioned that she has 5 children and has been married to her husband more than 30 years.  Because of her “Southward” problem she does not allow her husband to see her naked.  That astounds me.  This woman was beautiful and certainly not obese or anything.  And even if she was, how can you have an intimate relationship with someone if you aren’t, well, intimate?

In my relationship, I have ranged from 160# to 213# and I am 5’6” so I have never been what you would consider slender.  This is over a period of 13 years and I am 60 now so he hasn’t ever seen me as a person either but he has seen me naked each and every day.  My attitude is similar to Popeye’s.

I am what I am, that is all that I am.

I’m Popeye the Sailor man!!

My Journey, My Plan

Plan-what plan??  I don’t have a plan.  I should have a plan.  I know the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  So what is wrong with me??  Why am I plan-less?? 

Good questions, all.  But do I have answers??  Not really.  I have such good intentions, but I don’t get anywhere.   Sort of follows my life journey so far……I just ricochet through life like a bullet.  Could that be why I am 60 years old and have nothing?  Probably.

So how does one change?  Is it possible?  I have also heard:  a leopard does not change it’s spots and you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.  Is that absolutely true??  Of course not….(I hope). One of the beauties of being human is the ability to reason and change. 

Fitness Walk

Technorati Tags: walking,stretchy bands,walking poles

Fitness walks. 

I live in an RV park in Arizona and have developed my own fitness walk using whatever is handy.  While I am making laps around the perimeter of the park.  One lap is just under 1/2 mile.  While I am walking, I do arm strength training using a blue stretchy band.  I also stop at a picnic table and do squats, arm dips, ab crunches, and 45 degree angle push ups using the table edge for support.  There is no way that I can do a regular push up on the floor.  I have a fear of falling flat  and smashing my face in.  Not rational, I know, but  that is what I see happening.  I also do a sideways “grapevine” move for a section of my walk, one row in each direction.  Then I do a row walking backwards.  I belong to a gym and  occasionally  use it, but I really prefer to be active outside AND I am basically a loner so I sort of do my own thing most of the time. 

I also do laps using walking poles.  That makes my arms move like they do on the elliptical and I walk faster when I use them.  

When I do a fitness walk I try to walk for at least an hour.  Just walking is nice but I get too bored, doing these other activities at the same time keeps my head occupied. 

Posture

Did your Mother or Grandmother ever have you walk around with a book on your head?  Mine did.
Sounds stupid and it felt stupid but it got you to stand up straight.  And that is a good thing.  When I watch people I am amazed at what poor posture is out there!  Have you ever seen an older person that walks with their head?  Which means that their head is about 6 or 8 inches ahead of their butt…it looks so uncomfortable and just not natural.
Whenever I see anyone walking like that I want to ask if they are capable of standing up straight.  Or if they realize they aren’t standing up straight.  Would asking someone  be rude??  I’m  really torn about that -rude-not rude.  Can't decide.
I also see people that hunch their back.  Too me, that  looks lazy. 
I would like to encourage people to try balancing a book on your head when you walk around your house once in a while.  It’s good to know what standing up straight feels like.  Or you could imagine being pulled up by a string.  That helps too…….just try it!

Monday, Monday

Arizona had a cold, windy (very, very windy) day today.  I had a list of errands to run because it is Monday and that is errand day.

The weather is important because I could not comfortably go on a fitness walk.  So I got to thinking about what I committed to this week. 

The wind would not interfere with my yoga poses so I decided to do them.  Then I decided to do an exercise video.  Since I felt that would be the item hardest to accomplish.  Might as well get it out of the way since going outside would not be fun.  Looking though my selection of videos was like looking in a photo album of old friends.  I decided to do the “Slim in 6” one.  I have had that program for 8 to 10 years and it has been several years since I have done it.  So I opted for the 25 minute routine and it was a lot of fun, and as I said like hooking up with an old friend.  In fact I enjoyed it so much I did it twice!!

Cool……….this week is off to a good start!

Pass or Fail

Last week I made a commitment to do 5 yoga poses using the Wii at least 3 days this week.  I did that and in addition did basic step on two of the days for a total of 6 basic step routines.  So passed that one.

I also committed to doing 1 hour of cardio at the gym three days.  Here is a gray area.  I only went to the gym once, but I did do fitness walks lasting 1 to 1.5 hours 3 days and 1/2 hour 2 days.  So technically this is a fail because I only went to the gym once, but I did exceed the cardio commitment.  I did cardio for a total of 5.5 hours, which is 2.5 hours more than I committed to.  So I am not unhappy with my performance, especially when I lost 3.6#.  I am OK with what I did.

So what are my plans for this week. 

1.  6 Wii yoga poses at least 3 days.

2.  At least 1 hour of cardio 4 days.

3.  One exercise video.

By far number 3 will be the hardest.  I used to do them a lot but haven’t for probably a couple of years.  (Times goes so fast).  I put that as a goal this week because I would like to get back to them.  I always enjoyed them so want to again.

Wish me self discipline and a good attitude!!

Balance

Balance---holy shit….has anyone looked this word up in the dictionary lately???  I have a large dictionary and the definitions of this word takes up 3/4 of a column with another 1/2 column taken up with words ranging from balance beam to balancing act.  What a word—it was actually very interesting to read each definition because you tend to think of only the definition that applies to how you mean it.

Anyway this is the definition I am blogging about today:

Balance: physical equilibrium and the ability to retain one’s balance.

Because I am a senior citizen, (oh MY GOD-I am amazed and appalled at how quickly you go from 20 to 60), I tend to notice traits of older people, and what aging takes away in terms of ability to physically move.   It is in everyone’s best interest to protect their balance.  I don’t care if you are a teenager.  You can get in the habit of protecting your balance NOW.   As my very smart Mother would say “you can’t learn any younger.  And as I have observed—what you learn as a child, when it is pretty easy to learn, stays with you a lifetime. 

So how in the hell do you protect your balance.  Yoga poses such as the tree pose, dancers pose, and many others are wonderful for your balance.  I have probably been doing the dancers pose for 30 years.  It is one of the reasons that I have good balance.  Anyone wishing to learn these poses can check them out on Wii Fit Plus.  If you are a beginner this is a great place to start.

Technorati Tags: Wii,balance,senior citizen

Just Thinking About It

I have not really blogged since October.  Why not?

1.  What I was doing was not working for me.

I felt I was just spinning my wheels—down 2 pounds, up 3, down 4, up 1, up-down, up-down.  Just an endless cycle of ups and downs that had a net result of staying about the same.  But, but I want to LOSE!

2.  Sweets!!

In all honesty I eat a really healthy diet---lots of fruits of vegetables, lean meats, soups, salads, grains like rice and quinoa.  So why don’t I lose weight.  One word: SWEETS

I have come to the belief that there is not enough pastry, candy, cookies, cakes, pies, etc, etc in the world to satisfy me.  I can’t have A cookie, I want at least a dozen.  This is so frustrating to me.  I quit smoking 8 years ago and this sweet thing is so much more difficult.  

The only thing that keeps me from being morbidly obese is the fact that I have always exercised and I do mostly eat healthy foods that I cook myself.  But I do binge, not only on sweets but also carbs.  The other night I ate 1/4 bag of tortilla chips, 4 slices of bread with peanut butter, and some pretzels.  Why oh why can’t I control my wolfing down of those foods??  I know in my head that I am sabotaging myself but don’t seem to be able to stop.  I felt so miserable after eating all that in about 15 minutes that I was what?  I don’t even know the words to describe what I felt.  And let me tell ya, that is unusual because I have a large vocabulary.

3.  Comfort

I lost 20 pounds last year about this time.  I kept it off until Thanksgiving.  Since Thanksgiving I have gained 9 pounds mostly because of holiday sweets, lots, and lots of holiday sweets.  But why did I stop at 20 pounds to begin with when I wanted to lose 50??  Because I felt comfortable down 20.

So anyway, I took some time  to think about this journey. Have I figured it out?  Hell NO, but I am making some changes.  This journey is very individual and I need to get it together.

Frail

Being frail is being physically weak.

I am sure you have heard  the phrase: “she fell and broke her hip”.  If I heard Dr. Oz correctly, what really happened is “she broke her hip and fell”.  Makes one think about brittle bones and becoming frail.

I am in a position to observe people ranging in age from early twenties to 80’s and 90’s.  What I have seen has been really eye opening and motivating.  At least it gives me motivation to move more.   I do have to say I have exercised most of my adult life, although I was in high school the first time I followed a magazine article exercise routine.  So I have exercised more than not exercised.  And it is true – exercise makes you strong not thin!!

Oh back to frail…..watch people of all ages, decide how you want to move through life and do what it takes to move the way you want.

So how did the plan go today.  I did the 5 yoga poses with Wii!!  I did not make it to the gym but did do a fitness walk around the RV park for 1.25 hours.  And I got to be outside in shorts and a t-shirt.  Gotta love Arizona.

Technorati Tags: Wii,Dr. Oz,yoga,walking

My Plan

This is my plan…..
Tomorrow I am going to start taking a product I saw on a local Phoenix TV show.  Not an “infommercial” in the true sense but something that sounded interesting to me. 
This week I am making the commitment to do 5 yoga poses this week on the Wii at least 3 days.  I also intend to do 3 hour long cardio sessions at the gym this week.  The first session was today.  This is the minimum I am committing to.
2011 needs to end on a healthy, lighter note.

Makes Sense To Me

I am still reading the Dr. David Kessler book about overeating and he brings up something that I cannot believe didn’t occur to me before.

As we all have been told—DO NOT cut your calories too drastically because all that happens is your very efficient body just slows your metabolism so you won’t starve to death when there is not plenty of food to eat.  I am actually happy that we have a mechanism like that otherwise our foraging ancestors would have starved to death and I might not have existed.  So that “fail safe” feature is a good thing.

But

why isn’t the reverse true??  If we overeat why doesn’t our metabolism rev up to burn those extra calories??  To my way of thinking this is a major design flaw.  What’s your opinion??